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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29057499">Stargazing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure112/pseuds/azure112'>azure112</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>BBS oneshots [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Banana Bus Squad, Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Fitting In, Fluff, New Friendships, Other, Stargazing, Summer Camp, hike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:42:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29057499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure112/pseuds/azure112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was in the hours nearing midnight when Jaren found himself wide awake, taking in the sounds of the wilderness just outside. Camp Metanoia had brought about some mixed feelings, which made falling asleep just that little bit harder.</p><p>Eventually, and with a heavy sigh, he makes his way outside, quickly bumping into someone else. Jaren doesn't know why he had decided to follow the stranger so willingly, but the spot they end up at makes it well worth the hike.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John | KryozGaming/SMii7Y</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>BBS oneshots [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2062383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stargazing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29007594">Camp Metanoia</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/CooperAtion/pseuds/CooperAtion">CooperAtion</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I know there's only one chapter out as of now, but I absolutely adore the setting, and felt pretty inspired by the content so far. I had a lot of fun playing with this dynamic, hopefully I'll be able to get back to writing soon</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the dead of the night, all that could be heard were the faint sounds of the wilderness outside. The forest was alive, bustling with more life than anyone could have ever known. And today, it was sharing its tranquil serenity with a lonely little kid. Someone who was struggling to sleep.</p><p>Jaren laid in bed, silent and unmoving. If he were to guess the time, it would have had to have been in the early hours of the morning, either encroaching on midnight or just past that point. It was his first night in Camp Metanoia, and as much as he had enjoyed playing dodgeball just a few hours prior, he was also incredibly cautious of the people that surrounded him. He knew that they were friends simply at each other's throats in the name of fun, but he could also sense the obvious distaste that surrounded him.</p><p>The faint sounds of steady breaths and light snoring filled the room as he turned to the side one more time, hoping to God that the insomnia was only the result of an uncomfortable position. He had tried this spot already, but it couldn't have hurt giving it a shot for what may as well have been the umpteenth time. He was almost apologetic to the person sleeping above him, likely getting rocked about as he thrashed ruthlessly underneath.</p><p>He couldn't point a finger at the main source of the discomfort in his stomach. Was it because of the way Tyler repeatedly disregarded him? Telling him outright that their mother's insistence had been the only reason for bringing him here. Or was it because of how the other team snickered in his direction when he had been introduced as an unwanted member of the squad? Was he somehow ruining the inbuilt chemistry of this already well established friend group?</p><p>It wasn't long before he finally gave up on lying around, trying to imitate a corpse, and quietly got out of bed, leaving the cabin without a single sound. He lingered by the barely open doorway, adjusting his eyes to the darkness the best he could as he watched his friends intently. The door slowly creaked open as he pushed it further, making one final scan of the room before leaving once he had determined that no one had been disturbed.</p><p>When Jaren stepped outside, he listened closely to the sounds the breeze was carrying his way. The soft hooting of owls, the quiet chirping of crickets; all of it was coming from the woods just overhead. When morning came, he needed to make a mental note of asking someone nice, like Brock or Evan, to show him around the forest.</p><p>Underneath the silver moonlight, the world around him was startlingly clear. The air was fresh, and each breath he took made him feel just a little bit more calm. The quiet of the night made his heartbeat almost audible, and he smiled slightly to himself as he listened to it slow down with every passing second, until it had steadied itself completely. He was completely alone, and that in itself made him feel at peace.</p><p>However, the faint crunching of grass suddenly alerted him, and he jerked his head in the direction of the sound.</p><p>Standing in front of him now was Kryoz. A boy from the other cabin that he didn't really know, but already didn't like.</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>He could barely see as a relaxed smile spread across his lips. Kryoz looked at him with a softened gaze, his posture slightly slumped and incredibly relaxed. A near silent yawn was the only thing that gave away the fact that he was tired. "What are you doing up so late, buddy?" He asked, his words slurred ever so slightly. Jaren felt himself tense up, but decided that responding would be the polite thing to do.</p><p>"I couldn't sleep, so I came here instead." He spoke almost affirmatively, which caused the other man to laugh ever so slightly.</p><p>"Don't need to be so tense, man. We're cool."</p><p>"Good to know." Jaren smiled, letting the tension seep out of his shoulders. Admittedly, Kryoz was a little bit scary to him, so he tried his best to remember what Brock had said earlier in the day.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I thought that too a few years ago, but then I got to know him and I learned that if I can tolerate Tyler, I can tolerate anybody.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Kryoz didn't seem to have any ill intentions for being out there that night. He looked somewhat dispassionate about Jaren himself, and more invested in kicking up the dirt as he tried to stay upright. He was likely there for the same reason that Jaren had come out, searching for solidarity in the night, away from everyone else. If he were to guess, neither of them had been expecting to run into anyone else right then.</p><p>"You know, there's a really cool stargazing spot up the hill there." Kryoz perked up suddenly, taking Jaren by surprise. "I went there with Panda and the guys last year, and I've been looking forward to seeing it again."</p><p>Jaren nodded in acknowledgement. "That's cool, I guess. I'll make sure to ask them where that is."</p><p>"No, dumbass. I'm asking if you want to go there now." Kryoz responded quickly with a laugh, and Jaren was a little taken aback. He glanced quickly at the sky, and determined that there was at least a few more hours of nightfall left before the sun would start to rise.</p><p>"Um, sure. Just- don't get us killed on the way" he tried to joke, earning a stifled chuckle out of Kryoz.</p><p>"I can try." He grabbed Jaren's hand, and pulled him along, wasting no time at all in starting to lead the way. Jaren took a moment to process everything that was happening, and condemned Kryoz on how forward he was being. He didn't even know his real name. Was he this friendly with everyone?</p><p>The path they took was beaten, the dirt completely trampled on by consecutive years of camp goers. It was an easy affirmation to Jaren that they were going the right way, for it looked incredibly, incredibly used. The trail was easy to climb, almost carved into an incredibly convenient road by the people who took it often. Kryoz held Jaren's hand with a firm yet gentle grip, and Jaren took the moment to take note of the rings that were adorned on each finger. Clearly, he was a collector of sorts, or just had a liking towards jewelry. He didn't remember seeing them earlier, so it was likely that he had taken them off for dodgeball.</p><p>"How have you been finding camp so far?" Kryoz asked with a raised brow, and Jaren shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>"It's been fun, I guess. I'm just worried about how I'll fit in…" the other boy confessed, shrinking down ever so slightly.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sure you won't have to worry about that." Kryoz smiled. "Those guys there are great friends to have, believe it or not, and you've definitely made an impression on the people in my cabin." He reassured, pulling him closer when the path spread out. "And if nothing else, you've definitely made a good impression on me."</p><p>Jaren smiled, mumbling a quiet "thanks" in response. For all his words were worth, Jaren was already feeling much better about the whole thing.</p><p>The pair walked for about twenty minutes in each other's company, the air between them getting lighter with every word they chose to share. Conversations were quick to flow smoothly, and the banter between them came about surprisingly easily. It wasn't long before they had stepped into a clearing, quite a ways away from the main campsite. Jaren tried to spot it from so high up, only to be disappointed by the thick foliage that surrounded them on all sides.</p><p>"Is this it?" Jaren turned to ask, and Kryoz responded with that same, relaxed grin.</p><p>"Look up, and tell me if it is."</p><p>Jaren did as he was told, and the sight completely took his breath away. Above him now were thousands, if not millions of stars twinkling brightly in the inky expanse of space. A soft purple hue painted the skies in a subtle manner, which allowed for a bright pink hue to blend in nicely with the scene. If he had been shown a picture of that sky, he would have immediately suspected it to have been a painting or some magnificent photoshop trickery.</p><p>"So? Is it?" Kryoz finally intercepted after what may have been a minute or so, the pure delight and glee easily seeping into his voice. Jaren finally turned to look at him, and studied the joyful sparkle that shone in his eyes. Pretty, just like the stars above him.</p><p>"Absolutely" Jaren smiled, trying to hold back his own awe. "Thank you so much for bringing me here!" He smiled gratefully at the taller man, and Kryoz smiled back, just as gently.</p><p>"Always." He sat down on the grass, letting it crunch underneath his weight. He looked up at Jaren, quietly patting down the area beside him. "Everyone has to come here at least once."</p><p>Jaren sat down beside Kryoz, and together, they laid down on their backs, taking in the sight of the stars. Jaren had never seen so many in his life, and he was half tempted to count as many as he could for absolutely no reason at all. His own stupidity gave him a reason to let out a chuckle, and he smiled as he felt the other's gaze land back on him.</p><p>"Is it always this pretty?" Jaren asked offhandedly, listening to the sound of laughter that he had quickly grown to adore.</p><p>"Not when the clouds are out." He responded, his eyes fixated on Jaren for the time being. "But I never thought that I'd end up finding someone prettier than the stars on a clear day."</p><p>Jaren stifled a laugh. "So are you planning to look at me instead?" Kryoz chuckled, which only made him smile.</p><p>"Who knows. Maybe I am." His gaze wandered towards Kryoz, a smile spread across his lips.</p><p>"What's your name?" He asked, gently getting closer.</p><p>"Jaren." The shorter responded, making himself comfortable in the other's presence.</p><p>"That's cool. I'm John." Kryoz responded, and Jaren smiled, trying the name in his head. Incredibly basic, but somehow, it fit.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, John."</p><p>"You too, Jaren."</p><p>They laid there like that for a moment, before turning their attention back towards the sky, enjoying each other's company until the sun had begun to rise.</p>
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